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Ask the Senate to ratify the UN Disabilities Treaty

July 17, 2014

One billion people with disabilities around the world need our help right now. That includes 57 million Americans — of whom 5.5 million are veterans with disabilities — who wish to serve, study, work and travel overseas.

The Senate can do something right now to make their lives better by ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) — but your officials need to hear from you urgently.

You may recall in December 2012, the UN Disabilities Treaty fell five votes short in the Senate. We can’t let that happen again. Next week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will again debate the treaty, and it’s up to constituents like you to make sure it gets to the Senate floor and passes. Second chances like this don’t happen often, so make it count.

The UN Disabilities Treaty was largely inspired by the U.S.’ very own Americans with Disabilities Act. The treaty calls upon the international community to grant the disabled equal treatment and equal access to fundamental rights and promotes reasonable accommodations — things as basic as wheelchair ramps. Ratifying this treaty would not affect our existing domestic laws. But it will provide the U.S. an opportunity to play an important and expansive role in the promotion of disability rights around the world without having to add additional costs to its budget.

Americans with disabilities deserve to have their government fully engaged in advancing their rights globally. That can only happen if the United States joins this UN Treaty.

Earlier this week, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) specifically asked for UNA members' support in calling their Senators to get this treaty ratified. So if you have an extra five minutes, and want to do even more than send an email, you can also show your support by calling the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and telling your Senator to ratify the UN Disabilities Treaty.

Hearing directly from constituents like you can go a long way in ensuring human rights for people all around the world.